Over the last few years, Karen Hannon, co-founder and director of The Branford River
Raptor Center, in Branford, CT, has taken in numerous Eastern screech owls (Otus asio)
for rehabilitation. In 2000, for example, about a dozen were brought in for assistance.
Many of these owls  sometimes the survivors of entire families  were brought
to the center, orphaned or injured as a result of falling out of their tree cavity nests,
when the tree was cut down.

Growing concerns about the need to conserve appropriate habitat for a diminishing
Connecticut population of this raptor, or bird of prey, inspired a nesting site project.
Recent evidence suggests that screech owl populations may have declined in the Northeast.

In Connecticut, a 10_year census revealed local population declines during certain
times of year. When trees are cut from an area or when trees with natural cavities are
removed and not replaced with nest boxes, screech owls disappear from the area.

The Raptor Center was awarded a grant from Northeast Utilities Environmental Community
Grant Program, for the purpose of providing nesting sites for the Eastern screech owl.
This grant will provide the opportunity for the evaluation, establishment, and maintenance
of suitable nesting sites.

The Eastern screech owl, the smallest of the tufted owls with ear tufts in the eastern
U.S., stands about 8-9 inches high and has a wingspan of 20 inches. Weighing about 6 oz.,
the birds have several color "morphs"  grey, red, and brown. Most Eastern
screech owls are much browner than Western varieties, but all three morphs occur in most
populations.

According to The Sibley Guide to Birds," by David Sibley (2000), "up
to 60% are red in mid-eastern states (Ohio to Virginia)." He adds that the northern
birds are usually "larger, paler, and fluffier" than southern counterparts. The
term "Eastern screech owl" refers not just to the east coast, but the entire
eastern half of the U.S., in which these birds are fairly ubiquitous.

Named for its distinctive "song," this little owl actually has more than one.
The primary song resembles a whinneying horse, with a cascade of descending notes with a
husky falsetto tone. Common names for the owl refer to this: "whickering owl,"
"whinnerying owl."

Sometimes these owls make barking sounds, or calls that resemble chuckles. There is
also a tremolo of long whistled trills on the same pitch, lasting up to three seconds. The
female will call at slightly higher pitches.

Historically, some people have interpreted the whinney as "mournful" and the
tremolos to be haunting. According to John Terres, in The Audubon Society Encyclopedia
of North American Birds (1980), the call "has aroused great suspicion and fear
among country people."

Fortunately, contemporary society has a more informed and benevolent view of this
little "scritch owl." We know, for example, that they are helpful, consuming
mice, shrews and a wide array of insects, such as cutworms, cicadas, caterpillars,
grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles.

Described as a rather "quiet, gentle" bird, the owls make warnings by
snapping their bills. They have accustomed themselves to areas of human habitations, and
have been seen bathing at night in backyard birdbaths!

Hunting soon after dusk, the screech owl swoops over meadows and treetops. In flight,
they snag June beetles from midair with their beaks, or snatch them from twigs with their
talons. They respond readily at night to imitated calls or squeaking notes.

Since screech owls hunt in small territories and can tolerate the presence of people,
they can be found in suburban and city woodlands. Installing nest boxes provided a means
of supporting the screech owl population.

This Raptor Center project will involve surveying areas for screech owls, building nest
boxes and installing the boxes in potential screech owl habitats. The nest boxes will be
maintained and monitored throughout the nesting season. Data collection will provide an
account of the screech owl population and ascertain its trend in the areas.

Increasing public awareness about the important environmental issues is vital in
conservation efforts to preserve birds of prey. One of the Branford River Center's main
goals is to educate people about birds of prey and their importance in our environment.

This article was originally published (March 22, 2001) in The Source, The Sound, The
Harbor News, and the Guilford Courier, several CT shoreline newspapers. Reprinted by
permission of Shorepublishing, Inc., Madison, CT